


Beautiful Stranger

by KayleighTheDreamer



Category: The Last of Us
Genre: Angst, F/M, Family, Friendship, Love, Love Triangles, Lust, Multi, Romance, Zombies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-08
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-09-07 07:38:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8789323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KayleighTheDreamer/pseuds/KayleighTheDreamer
Summary: The years in Jackson passed and Joel has been having terrible nightmares about the day he killed Marlene and for not telling the truth to Ellie about it. The girl is a full grown teen now and needs her independence more than ever but, there are feelings between them both making everything so much more complicated. Everything seemed to have changed between them. JoelxEllie pairing.





	1. Walls Around Us

**Author's Note:**

> Hello guys. I'm new here and I'm starting to post my first fanfiction here because well...what can I do!? I love The Last of Us and I love to write.
> 
> Just so you know, I am Portuguese so I apologize in advance for any grammar or english mistakes that you may find. I did my best. Don't be rude in the comments, give your opinions as much as you like, I apreciate that, but always be polite. :)  
> I want to know if you are enjoying the fanfiction and if you'd like to know more. :)

## First Chapter - Walls Around Us

"You'd just come after her."

The gun shot beat in his head like a hammer, waking him up in a horryfing sweat and lacking of air to breathe. His lungs filled and leaked at a speed that made him dizzy, as if he could not get enough oxygen into his brain. Years after years he kept on having the same damn nightmares, like he was being haunted by a ghost, like he, in fact, had done something terrible. It was not the killing itself but the words the woman said before he shot her, the words she said right after they got to the hospital and the hope she had put into that stupid vaccine that would probably not do a damn good thing. Was that some kind of punishment for being so selfish? Was he selfish? Was that really what she'd wanted? It had passed four years and now, the little girl would turn 18 years old in a few hours and he was old and paranoid. Panicking over something that should have been buried the moment he said "I swear."

The room was dark and hot. He was burning even though he was covered only with a thin sheet and wearing pajama bottoms. He hated summer and all the heat. Maybe the next night he would sleep outside, on the porch or in the woods by the lake. Besides, he was tired of sleeping alone.

Joel looked at his side, just to assure himself Ellie was not there. He knew she wouldn't be, the teen had her own room now, in fact she always did. The house they had in Jackson was not the biggest but Joel made sure it had two bedrooms because, eventually, Ellie would want her own space sooner or later. The old habit of crawling up into his bed in the middle of the night died after she turned sixteen. A lot had changed since then. She had changed just as much as he did. A great uncertainty grew in their heads, the uncertainty of what they should be to each other and how they should label their relationship at that point. Joel was much into work and helping Tommy all day and Ellie was a teen, exploring herself and others. Besides, there was much more going on, people making their way into their lives, especially the woman who Joel was gaining interest in. Instinctively, they figured it would be easier if they behaved as friends, family, dealing with each other as a father and a daughter would. What else could it be? It has been like that since the beginning and it was, definitely, the way the rest of the community saw them anyway and everybody in there were preparing themselves for a new life in a world that would gradually evolve and get better with the generations yet to come. A world as much labeled as it was before, as world with rules and organization.

Rubbing his hand on his face, he got out of bed and walked to one of the windows in his room from where he saw the emptiness of the town and its silence. Nights in town were always so quiet it seemed the world was perfect. Oeople worked hard all day to make it possible - to have a safe sleep at night. Only the guards on the wall were awake, drinking barley coffee, playing cards and telling jokes so their shift would go on faster. He didn't know what time it was but he sure as hell knew it was late. Anyway, he was thirsty.

He stepped down stairs and entered the kitchen, grabbed a glass and filled it with water from the jar. He drank it up all in two big sips and put the glass in the sink. When heading back to his room, a humming of a song came from the outside. He stopped on the first stairs step, recognizing the sweet voice.  
Joel opened the front door stepping on the porch where the girl was sitting on the bench with her knees up, in her pajama shorts and t-shirt, looking at the starry night sky, listening to the loud sound of the crickets and frogs and with a cup of iced tea in her hands. Maybe it wasn't that late or maybe she just couldn't sleep as well. Was she having nightmares too?

He cleared his throat and she immediately stopped humming to look at him with a little bit of a flush on her cheeks.

"Still up?" He asked.

"Can't sleep." She said, taking a little sip of tea. "It's too hot inside the house."

"Yeah…" He totally agreed on that even though he didn't show it or verbalize it as firmly as he would like to.

Joel never said too much, he was a quiet man, she always got more to talk about, she spoke for them both.

"I'm going back to bed. Good night."

He was about to leave the porch but was stopped by her voice:

"Do you want some tea? I made it myself."

He frowned a little in surprise.

"What? The tea? You made it?"

"With herbs and fruits from the garden."

He sat next to her after murmuring a simple "ok". He was more curious about that tea than he probably should and, obviously, more than he showed. The girl handed him the cup. It was cold and felt good in his sweaty hands, just like the breeze, though not so cold, of the night. He took a little sip under the look of her beautiful, hopeful green eyes.

"Hmm." He murmured into the cup.

"So...? Do you like it?"

"It's actually damn good." She smiled widely. It was always such a pleasure to do something that Joel appreciated. "Who taught you to do this?"

"Maria did, and Jenna, the old lady living near the community garden."

"Yeah, she's such a nice lady."

He took another sip of tea as Ellie moved on the bench to make herself more comfortable. Holding in that position for so long was making her feet and legs numb. As she slid her legs down, one of her half-naked thighs leaned against Joel's and so did her bare, small, foot which landed on top of his. She had such small feet, such soft skin compared to him. It made him uncomfortable. It made him awkwardly satisfied and guilty. His lungs filled with so much air he thought they would explode in agony.

"What time are you working tomorrow?" She asked, finally distracting him from the touch her skin made against hers.

"Tomorrow I've got the first shift of the night on the wall. During the day I'll be helping Tommy in the dam…"

Joel shrugged, not really bothering with the amount of work nor his duties as a civilian in Jackson. At least he was keeping his mind busy and his body in action.

"I'm going outside the wall with Peter, Lara and Jim. See if we can find something good." She bit her lower lip. "That's fine by you, right?"

He frowned discreetly. He never liked the idea of her leaving the town without him, he didn't like the idea of her leaving at all. Life inside the town was as calmer as it could be and sometimes it looked like a dream but it was still dangerous out in the world and, in his mind, she was still as fragile as in the first day they met. However, preventing himself from being too severe and controlling, he could only advise her to be careful just like a responsible parent would do. She was all grown up and she sure as hell could make her own decisions. Wasn't that right?

"Alright. Just…just be careful."

"I will."

Joel gave her a nod and handed the mug of tea back to her. He was starting to feel sleepy.

and rose from the bench, already feeling a sleepiness taking over his tired body again. He needed to rest.

"Joel…" She called the man before he get into the house.

"Yeah?"

Her heart was beating a little bit faster than it was before, she was about to say something important or, probably, just some silliness. She opened her mouth to speak but when her eyes met his the only thing she could verbalize was a simple:

"Goodnight..:"

"Goodnight, Ellie."

He disappeared into the house, leaving her alone again. Once he was gone, she exhaled, painfully, as she put the mug on the floor. She put her knees up again, hugging it against her body, swallowing hard, trying to send that stupid feeling and the unspoken words back to the deepest black hole of her heart, of her soul, or wherever it was located. The tears were about to come out but there was no way on earth she was going to let it escape from her eyes. The pain would only grow and she needed to let it go, she needed not to care.

[To be Continued...]


	2. Bittersweet Breakfast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the kudos and the sweet review. I hope I can keep on enjoying you with my fanfic.  
> I can not post a chapter every single day because I have work and a terrible schedule. I'm always tired and stuff so I apologize for that and I hope you understand. 
> 
> Enjoy the second chapter.  
> Kisses

## Second Chapter - Bittersweet Breakfast

The house was filled with the smell of fresh coffee and something sweet she couldn't quite describe. Ellie put on her jeans, t-shirt and sneakers as fast as she could and ran downstairs. In a casual day it never smelled that good. A smile grew on her face with the possibility of her dream becoming true.  
When she entered the kitchen, however, her hopeful smile vanished as the only thing she saw was a the usual coffee kettle on the stove and a plate covered with another plate, on the counter, to keep the breakfast warm. There was no sign of the man she was looking for whatsoever. 

Ellie walked to the kitchen counter to uncover the plate where she found a pile of three pancakes covered in honey and some slices of green apple. Ellie sighed. Joel always used to leave breakfast made for her before heading to his daily tasks in town, he would always leave around five minutes before the girl woke up. He had started doing that pretty recently and it still hurted her. She couldn't understand why he avoided her so much. On that special day she, somehow, hoped it would be different. She believed he would be there. If those pancakes and honey were some kind of congratulation for her birthday, it sure as hell was not enough. She needed something else from him.

There was a big part of her wanting to leave the food untouched, actually pretend that she did not even bother to eat what he made and hurt his feelings - if he had some. However, after biting her lower lip a thousand times and think wisely about it she concluded that it would be a tiring day outside the wall, scavenging, and she needed energy. In addition, it was not a good time to waste food and, worse than that, the food smelled fucking delicious and she was starving.  
After serving herself a cup of coffee, she sat at the counter, devouring the food. It was perfect, as she expected. Despite all the trouble they were going through, Joel was still an amazing cook - unlike her.

The girl put the dishes in the sink once finished. She put on a green shirt on top of the t-shirt and grabbed her backpack in the main hall along with her rifle and bow. She looked in the mirror to fix her ponytail, thinking that maybe that hair of hers needed a cut. It was starting to get too lengthy for her taste and it bothered her in every way possible. She snorted, opened the front door and left.

Lara, Peter and Jim were already near the gate and stopped whatever they were doing as Ellie approached them. Lara was beautiful brown-haired woman with wide hips and strong limbs; she was small and a very good climber. Peter and Jim were brothers, blonde and handsome for most of the girls in town. They were always messing around but they were good fighters.  
The three friends ran towards her with their arms opened and smiling widely. 

“Happy birthday!” They exclaimed at the same time, hugging Ellie as tightly as they could. 

The girl smiled back, a little embarrassed due to all the fuss. She never liked being the center of attentions but she could not lie either, it felt good to have someone to hug her and congratulate her on her birthday. Since the one she needed was not present. 

“Thank you, guys.” 

“How you feeling? Older?” Lara asked, laughing.

“I can’t tell the difference yet.” She shrugged.

“Now you can drink and get married.” Peter said. “Who made those rules anyway?” She laughed.  
Ellie chuckled, timidly. 

“I just turned eighteen, give me a rest, dude.” 

“Let’s get a move on.” Jim warned them. “We have to be back by diner.” 

“We have?” Ellie asked, frowning in suspicion. 

The three exchanged glances between them, leaving Ellie with an idea of what all that secrecy could be about. She was a smart girl and would never ruin whatever it was they were planning for dinner. It has happened several times, one in particular; people could never hide anything from her. However, if it made people happier or more hopeful, she would play fool just for that matter. 

“Yeah right,” She continued, “We don’t want to get back when it is dark, right?” 

They all smiled, relieved that they would not have to explain more about the dinner thing to her. 

“Right!” Jim said. “Let’s go then.” 

They left town. Ellie looked back as the gates closed. It wasn’t the first time she got out without Joel but it was probably the third of fourth it happened. She knew he didn’t like her to leave the comfort zone and she didn’t like to go without him either. She felt alone even though she wasn’t. She felt unprotected even though she could perfectly take care of herself and her friends. In a way it felt good to know that Joel trusted her to go alone but, at the same time, it felt terrible that he never wanted to come along anymore.  
After two hours of walking through the woods they started to pant under the hot Sun. It was not even mid-day and the summer air was already unbearable. They were walking in line, Ellie was in the end of it, observing, and making sure they did not leave anything useful behind. 

“Jesus, we need to stop.” Peter, walking just after Ellie, said exhausted, bending over his knees to catch his breath.  
Everybody stopped to look back at him. 

“Let’s rest for a while.” Lara said, cleaning the sweat from her forehead with her own arm. “This weather is killing me.” 

On the ground where the grass was green and soft, the brunette allowed herself to sit. In days like those, they should be by the lake, swimming and having picnics but for some reason they thought it would be a good idea to go on a hunt.  
The boys sat along with Lara, resting and drinking some water. There was plenty of shadow where they were and plenty of bees and cicadas singing. Ellie stood there, looking everywhere around them. Some needed to stay alert. She looked up at the trees, watching them flow as the warm breeze blew. For some reason, all that silent was bothering her. 

“What are you doing, Ellie? Drink a little water.” Jim said, stretching the water flask to her.  
Ellie ignored it, frowning and still analyzing every detail of each sound. 

“I’m fine.” The girl said.

She turned her head in a quick move, frowning heavily, after spotting a light movement behind some bushes. She could hear passes, feet dragging on the grass, not very far from them and, also, a very irritating woodpecker, which had started beating its beak in a tree trunk.

“I think we’re not alone.” She pulled off the riffle and held onto it as her heart gained a faster pace.

One foot after the other, silently, like a cat, she started walking away from her companions and towards the bush. 

“What?” Peter asked, noticing that she was already a little farther away. “Where you goin’?” He shouted, rising up from the ground.

“Shut it!” The girl growled through gritted teeth, giving him a harsh look. “Stay alert.” 

Elle crouched as she approached the bush. She was hardly controlling her shaky breath. From what she had heard, it could anything. She hoped it was not a bloater nor some crazy mutated monster. Neither of them went very far from Jackson, they didn’t had to deal with the infected as much as they did before, hunters and bandits were the worst actually, even diseases inside the community were more frightening but who knows what would come after a bloater. It could only be an even more terrifying monster. Neither of the four wanted to waste ammo on something so useless. Fucking bloaters and clickers were hard to kill.  
With the tip of her riffle, she swerved the bush leaves to the side and her eyes widened as much as they could, her jaw fell to the ground. It has been so long since she had seen something like that…

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“Joel, are you listening to me?” 

The man snorted. He was tired of that bullshit. He was old and fucking tired. He threw the mini shovel and fork to the ground and rose up to look at his brother. 

“What you want Tommy?” 

“Jesus, Joel. What is wrong with you?”

“Do you need something? I’m tryin’ to work here:” 

Tommy shook his head. He knew there was a lot of work to do in the garden and in the big green house they built to have a larger variety of fruits and vegetables. There were watermelons and corn to harvest and a bunch of snails and other bugs to put away. The green house needed some fixing to hold on strongly through the cruel winter weather. August was hot as hell but it was ending and after the first rain of September, they needed to start planting other things like carrots and beets. Who said it would be a life of wonders was mistaken. It was a life of hard work. However, it was not all about work, they could take a little break sometimes and Joel needed it. 

“Maria is baking a birthday cake for Ellie, I am preparing the house for a crazy teen party and you are here, working. Are you even aware that’s a special date for your little girl?”

Joel clenched his fist and took a deep breath. 

“She ain’t my little girl and somebody’s gotta make the dirty work, little brother.” 

“I think you’re working too much. I might give you some holidays.” 

Joel shrugged, kneeling again on the dirt. 

“Just leave me the hell alone, Tommy."

[To be continued...]  



	3. Deers and Boars

## Third Chapter - Deers and Boars

In Jackson they did not have too many animals and the ones they had were too valuable just to kill and eat. They used to eat chicken meat, they had many chickens in the coops and running around the place - they used to escape pretty often. However, what they ate the most was vegetables, fruits, eggs and bread. Due to that, a group of three or four people would got on a hunt every single day but, it seemed wild animals were out of numbers too. It should have happened the other way around, right? Tommy had told the people it was all because of the long and cruel winters the world had gone through and then the extremely hot summers. The snow burned the grass every winter and there was not enough rain during spring to make it grow green and tender. In the summer, it dried too quickly. Therefore, no grass - no deer. No deer - no wolfs or whatever.

Ellie changed her rifle for her bow, it would be more silent. She was still looking mindfully at the creature before her: a big and fat boar eating the grass. It was a male and it was alone. It would give a hell of a meal. It was a special day after all.

"What is it?" Jim approached her, quietly.

"Look there." She pointed to the wild pig.

Jim widened his eyes. He could imagine what a feast it would be if they could hunt the animal.

She rested the arrow on the bow, aiming at the neck of the boar, where it would hit the spinal. She took a deep breath, waiting a little and, when it was in the best position she shot the animal, spreading through all the forest an echoing sound of a rifle shot. What the fuck?

The animal dropped dead and she frowned. She stepped from behind the bushes and ran towards the boar. At the same time some weird blonde bun guy, holding on to a riffle, limping, appeared coming from nowhere. Lara, Jim and Peter approached Ellie right after, all of them aiming at the guy.

"Drop it!" Ellie shouted. "Or I'll put an arrow right in middle of your eyes."

The boy, not much older than Ellie, dropped the gun and raised his arms in the air. He was wearing some hunting boots, jeans and a brown t-shirt. One of his legs was bleeding, just like the corner of his mouth and his forehead. He was dirty and panting hard as if he had been running for miles.

"Easy…" He spoke. "I was just….hunting. I mean no harm."

The group exchanged glances.

"Well, we saw the hog first, it's ours." Jim said.

"We could share it…"

"I don't think so…" Lara stated.

The boy sighed, nervously, almost in panic. He moaned in pain, sitting on the ground.

"I think…we could share it." He repeated.

"You're lying." Peter said, getting ready to pull his revolver's trigger.

"Stop it." Ellie finally said, lowering her bow.

She walked towards the boy and crouched by his side. She put her backpack on the ground, opening it to grab a bottle of alcohol and cloth to make a bandage.

"What's your name?" She asked, rolling his jeans up after his silent permission.

"Josh."

"I'm Ellie…Oh boy!" She worried after seeing the wound on his leg; it was made by a bullet; a bullet that was still inside his leg. The wound was very dark. "It's infected. You're going to need medicine and a doctor or you'll die. Let's hope you don't need to amputate."

"Yeah…" He sighed. "I never wanted to cause any trouble:"

Ellie drowned the cloth with alcohol.

"This is going to hurt a little. Think about unicorns."

"Wha-?"

He closed his eyes in pain, clenched his teeth not to scream as she put the cloth on his wound. She ripped some tape with her teeth and tuck it around his leg to secure the cloth.

"Why were you shot?" Peter asked.

"I was hunting the godman hog nearby some hunters camp but didn't know they were there. They scared the pig and shot me. Maybe htye thought I was trying to stel something from them."

Peter looked at Jim with a suspicious expression on his face.

"And you came after the pig?"

"It's the only one I've seen in months. I wouldn't let it escape so easily."

"I think you should come with us. We have a doctor:" Ellie said.

"Are you crazy? You know Tommy-"

"I know, Peter." The girl interrupted, looking at his friend. "But he needs help."

"I can't go. I…just can't." He lowered his head. "Thank you…for the bandage. All I need is for you to share the hog with me."

"It's getting late." Lara said. "Just give him half of the damn pig and let's go back."

"He's going to die if we don't help him." Ellie protested. She looked at the boy, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Look, I know it's hard to trust people these days but we're not hunters. We are just survivors and we are welcoming people like us into our community."

"We are?" Jim asked in disdain, making Ellie roll her eyes.

"I really appreciate it but I have people to take care as well and they are starving."

Josh tried to raise up but he immediately moaned in agony because of the pain. Ellie held his arm and back to help him.

"They could come too."

"Oh no…" Jim murmured, rubbing his hand on his face in despair.

"Shut up, dude." Ellie asked. "Seriously…" She looked at Josh again. "We have a really good doctor and lots of food…and electricity."

Josh raised his eyebrows. He seemed impressed.

"I have nothing to give you back."

"I'm not asking you anything." Ellie smiled. "Are they far from here?"

He shook his head.

"Tell me where they are. You go with Lara and Peter while I go with Jim to get them. You can't walk like that for much longer."

"Are you serious?" Jim said, bothered by Ellie's decision and receiving from her nothing more than a severe glance.

Josh sighed.

"If you keep heading north… you will find a small river. You cross the river and then…. after a while you will probably see some cans hanging from a string. We tied it to a tree for safety.

"Alright." She turned to her companions. "Lara, Peter, take him to the town and tell Tommy I'll explain later and take de hog too." Then, especially at Jim. "You are coming with me."

He rolled his eyes. There was no way he was going to say no to the girl. She was far too stubborn.

"Don't be late…" Lara said. "It's your birthday after all."

Ellie gave her a nod and then the group separated. She knew her friends were mentally calling her "stupid" but maybe it was worth it. Maybe she did not need to lose all faith in humanity. That's what she wanted the most: to believe.

**[To be continued...] ******

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was a small one but I hope you liked it.  
> :) So...would you trust this new guy?


End file.
